The nation's male population grew at a slightly faster rate (13.9 percent) than the female population (12.5 percent) over the last decade of the 20th century, resulting in a lessening of the gap between the number of men and women. This is according to new analysis released today by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau.

The latest in a series of Census 2000 briefs, Gender: 2000, shows the male and female populations were 138.1 million and 143.4 million, respectively. The female population made up 50.9 percent of the population in 2000. In 1990, the female population comprised 51.3 percent of the population.

The difference between the female and male populations dropped from 6.2 million in 1990 to 5.3 million in 2000. This resulted in a male-female ratio (the number who were male times 100 divided by the number who were female) that increased from 95.1 in 1990 to 96.3 in 2000.

"The greatest increase in the male-female ratio between 1990 and 2000 was in the age group 75 to 84, where it increased from 59.9 to 65.2," said Renee Spraggins, co-author of the brief.

The brief depicts male-female ratio fluctuations for every decade since 1900. From 1900 to 1940, the male-female ratio was above 100; it fell below 100 by 1950. Between 1980 and 2000, the male-female ratio gradually increased.

Other highlights:

By state

Alaska led all states with the highest male-female ratio (107.0), followed by Nevada (103.9), Colorado (101.4), Wyoming (101.2), Hawaii (101.0), Idaho (101.0) and Utah (100.4).

The lowest male-female ratios were recorded in the District of Columbia (89.0) (a state equivalent), Rhode Island (92.5) and Massachusetts (93.0).

The female population grew at a faster rate than the male population in only three states: Alaska, California and Hawaii.

By place

In places with 100,000 or more people, the highest male-female ratios were in Salinas, Calif. (113.7), followed by Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (110.0), and the census-designated place of Paradise, Nev. (109.1). Gary, Ind., had the lowest male-female ratio (84.6), followed by Birmingham, Ala. (85.7), Philadelphia (86.8) and Jackson, Miss. (86.9).

Of the 245 places with 100,000 or more people, the male population exceeded the female population in 44 places.

By city

Of the ten largest cities, the male population exceeded the female population in Phoenix, San Diego and Dallas. Philadelphia and Detroit had the lowest male-female ratios at 86.8 and 89.1, respectively.

By county

Crowley County, Colo., led the counties with a high male-female ratio in 2000 of 205.4, followed by West Feliciana Parish, La. (191.1), and Aleutians-East Borough, Alaska (184.8).

The county equivalents with the lowest ratio were independent cities in Virginia: Clifton Forge (78.9), Franklin (79.2) and Williamsburg (81.4).

Of the 3,141 counties and equivalent areas, about 42 percent (1,315) had male-female ratios below the U.S. ratio (96.3).